Cotton Candy & Black Cherry

Magenta & maroon color inspiration, tips for finding joy this week, and coffee shops where you can sit outside and draw.

There’s a certain thrill in pairing opposites. It’s like a summer romance novel, but for colors.

Hot pink and maroon don’t belong together — until they do. One is a color that demands attention wherever it shows up, frivolous and whimsical. The other is deep and brooding, the color of candle wax in a cathedral, of old velvet curtains and dried roses. But when these two hues meet, something unexpected happens: the loud becomes elegant, the somber becomes alive.

Hot pink is often dismissed as unserious, unserene, too bold. It’s lipstick on a napkin, neon signage, bubblegum on the sidewalk, Barbie’s dream house. Maroon, in contrast, feels like a cigar lounge or something a mobster would settle into. It’s the quiet confidence of aged wine, dusty hardcovers, and classic tailoring. One color lights up; the other anchors. And I like them together a lot.

Together, they form a palette that’s more about emotion than aesthetics — duality and tension. They’re the before and after. The wound and the blush. Youth and history in the same frame.

The palette is for anyone who’s ever felt two things at once — tender and defiant, elegant and defiant.

When I see the colors together, it’s like a little love letter to contradiction.

Find image sources here

Where to use this color:

• Fashion! Mix together bubblegum pink sweaters with maroon corduroy pants. Maroon ballet flats with pink socks.

• Wallpapers/paint combos. If you are redoing a room, consider a pink base with maroon accents.

• Graphic design. Not a lot of brand are using this combo yet, you should hop on it! Consider pink and maroon for your next creative project.

Here are some fresh ideas to infuse your week with joy:

• Wake-Up Makeover: Start your mornings with something different this week! Even a new alarm sound! New matcha recipe, new playlist, new skincare, or new perfume. Add something fresh into the way you wake up.

• Create a Mini Garden: ‘Tis the farmer’s market season. Even if you have limited space, plant herbs or small flowers in pots. Watch them grow all spring!

• Movie Cooking Night: Pick a movie and create a matching menu for dinner. Invite friends or family to join in the sparkle magic.

  • Ideas: “Godfather” pasta night (we’ve done this one and it was really fun), or some “Italian” with Ratatouille.

• Explore Your Own Neighborhood: Go for an exploratory walk and intentionally take new routes. Discover local parks, hidden cafés, or intriguing streets you haven't seen before.

• Surpirse Dinner-Bomb Your Friend: Think through the people in your life that have been having a hard go of it lately. Someone who lost a job, a partner, keeps getting sick, or just can’t catch a break. Without warning — appear at their place with a fully cooked dinner!

• Practice Generosity With a Stranger : Brighten someone's day unexpectedly—buy a coffee for the person behind you, leave an encouraging note in a library book, or help someone with a simple task.

  

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  THINGS I’VE BEEN ENJOYING LATELY:

  ✸ This very sweet book about a time-traveling coffee shop
  

  ✸ Of all the things I have in my kitchen, my measuring cups especially make me smile. I got them as a Christmas gift and love how they feel like display pieces, but are also completely functional.
  
  ✸ Honestly, just guacamole. I’ve made it so many times in the last few weeks. I will share my recipe on Friday, along with a bunch of other recipes!
  
  ✸ I found this cherry red beaded necklace and have been wearing it daily! It feels so summery to me and I love a pop of red. Always, a pop of red!
  

  ✸ If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen me post a picture of my favorite mug like 8 times now.
  

  ✸ Mumford & Sons’ new Album “Rushmere”
  

  ✸ My fancy picnic cooler bag! Last year, Connor got me a picnic bag for my birthday, because I had visions of Prospect Park feasts. Now that it is not freezing, I am so excited to bring it out and put it to good use!

Here are 3 Chinatown spots to add to your visit list:

📍 Dialogue Coffee: 188 Allen St, New York, NY 10002

• The sweetest little coffee shop WITH seating too. Try the carrot cake latte!

📍 Vintage Twin: 69 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

• Vintage that is priced more like thrifting than luxury, at least for New York! They have a ton of boots, a denim wall, and really great finds every time I walk in.

📍 Mellow: 38 Allen St, New York, NY 10002

• A stunning pottery store with the artist as the owner. If you go by, I highly recommend snatching up a unique coffee mug and gifting a few pats on the head to her dog!

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KEEP READING:

✸ A Big List of Ideas to Make Things Feel Like Spring

✸ How to Host a Home Café, complete with a task list, printable invites, and menu designs!

✸ Mind Gardening: Thoughts, things, art, challenges, and feelings to be curious about, dwell on, discover, and explore.

✸ A Color Study of butter yellow and ocean blue (and a story about a fisherman I met who lived in his freezer)

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